one person's kitsch is another person's gold. in fact, i've always believed that the perfect commuter is a personal and idiosyncratic choice rather than some sort of platonic ideal. for some this might be a walmart BSO, a trek 7100 hybrid, a vintage nishiki, a german touring bike, a bridgestone XO, a 40 lb pashley,a 22 lb titanium brompton, a fredly orbea diem, or even a 15 grand s-works road bike. it's all good.

Last edited by spare_wheel; 11-18-13 at 03:05 PM.

This is why motorists hate us, and why I've given up riding on the road...You should be ashamed yourself, and you should be reviled by cyclists everywhere.

*required to hold mug in place as "i make cyclists look bad" on my way to work.

Looks very effective, and I like the build a lot in terms of function. I don't understand the rear fender, poop or get off the pot, but otherwise I think it's smart...

I can't call it hot, but only because of one thing - that bulbous Shimano crank...I guess my pet peeve are Shimano cranks, they're just hideous with one or two exceptions. I'm not a CF guy and I'm not usually into straight bars, but it's such a clever build that it works for me. This is a case where the sum is greater than the parts.

Looks very effective, and I like the build a lot in terms of function. I don't understand the rear fender, poop or get off the pot, but otherwise I think it's smart...

I can't call it hot, but only because of one thing - that bulbous Shimano crank...I guess my pet peeve are Shimano cranks, they're just hideous with one or two exceptions. I'm not a CF guy and I'm not usually into straight bars, but it's such a clever build that it works for me. This is a case where the sum is greater than the parts.

yeah...the shimano cranks are fugly (and a pain to work on). i was considering the 6600 crank but finally went with the 6700 because i like to imagine that i can feel a difference in power transfer. i somewhat regret the choice...

i ran p35s on this bike for years but started using race blades because i like to take the fenders off when it's dryish. (i have a rain bike that wears fenders year round.)

Last edited by spare_wheel; 11-18-13 at 03:36 PM.

This is why motorists hate us, and why I've given up riding on the road...You should be ashamed yourself, and you should be reviled by cyclists everywhere.

one person's kitsch is another person's gold. in fact, i've always believed that the perfect commuter is a personal and idiosyncratic choice rather than some sort of platonic ideal. for some this might be a walmart BSO, a trek 7100 hybrid, a vintage nishiki, a german touring bike, a bridgestone XO, a 40 lb pashley,a 22 lb titanium brompton, a fredly orbea diem, or even a 15 grand s-works road bike. it's all good.

qft

The bicycle, the bicycle surely, should always be the vehicle of novelists and poets. Christopher Morley

^^^ Agree in full...great post, right on the money. I love weird, creative, Frankensteins that pay no attention at all to convention and just reflect the owner's individual tastes and needs.

I'll always love road bikes first...but there is a sameness to them. Commuters and gravel grinders are just more fun because everyone's approach is just a little bit different. They may not be hot...but they're fun. My goofy commuter is definitely not hot, but it reflects my personality more than the beautiful, classic roadies.

i would definitely talk with her at a local café if she was sitting there just as I would make a closer inspection of your bike if I saw it parked on the street

I think I get what you're saying but you picked the most normal and pedestrian picture of Bjork out there. Would you talk to her/think she was hot if you saw her sitting in a local cafe in the swan costume she wore to the Oscars years ago?

I like the bike because there are so many things that don't match and probably most people wouldn't have put together or have thought should even go together. I do that when I put an outfit together or make earrings and it's cool to see it done with a bike.

Not even sure if my wife is going to commute on this, but we got it on Saturday, and it's a much hotter-riding bike than it looks. It's light and nimble yet very easy to control. We are both very impressed.

Trek 7.3 FX. I think it's approximately a 2008 model, but I really don't know. Clearly the front wheel has been replaced.

I have made this longer than usual because I have not had time to make it shorter. --Blaise Pascal